Chamberlain Stacker Downrigger Release

The Chamberlain Stacker Downrigger Release from Northern Strike features easy to use vertical and horizontal adjustments for precision settings no matter what species your fishing for. Tension is adjustable from 0 to 4.5 lbs. and the use of magnetics on the horizontal adjustment assures a fluid and accurate release. The precision design of the Chamberlain Downrigger Release minimizes false releases and is small fish friendly. The stacker feature allows placement at any point on the downrigger cable.

This release comes one to a package. It is Northern Strike part number 101 and is made in the USA.

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Reviews

Review Summary

4

( 19 Reviews )

of customers would recommend this product.84%

Reviewer Profile:

Pros

Very easy to use
(3)Ease of use
(3)Easy to use
(2)

Cons

None
(3)none
(2)Hard to stay firm on the cable
(2)No retaining tether feature. If the release falls off
(2)

Best Uses

Downrigger stacking
(4)Great for fresh and salt water
(2)

Almost perfect... quick to get line in water.

2/17/2015

Verified Reviewer

Simon

Downunder

About Me:none

Have now used this a few days on the water. Found it very easy to set and adjust and the duo trigger sets work very well at adjusting a good tension to rod and a much lighter tension to lure as promised. Depending on target species etc. This has proven more accurate than the clamp style releases I had prior. I know everyone has their opinion on releases but this one works very well for me and allows me to concentrate on the drinki... uhh fishing. Seems solidly built with no parts to wear as such so should last a long time failing complete loss of gear of course. My search for a better system is now over with the stacker and standard vs.
Some people have commented on difficulty to set lock on cable; there is a small trick that makes this very easy but if ignored it is very difficult to set agreed. When setting the white lock is lightly closed against the cable then the entire stacker is lifted upwards on cable (just like the inventer shows in the video) and it sets easily and firmly.
Biggest con is lack of tether as has been suggested by others. This is really the only concern. I solved this quickly by drilling a very small hole through the stacker body below the internal magnet to thread a small loop of downrigger cable about an inch long to a crimping on quality ball bearing snap swivel. Works very well, allows stacker to run down cable when it hits the downrigger on retrieve as it is designed to do and gives piece of mind.

I bought these so I could use my downriggers in the Sacramento river for salmon. I bought the stacker model so I could place the release above the ball, in case the ball hits the bottom my lure would still be above the bottom. They lock on nicely and the tension adjustment for the line release is great because I like to load up the rod for hookset when the fish hits.

I was looking for a primary release to be used in conjunction with coated downrigger speed/temp cable that wouldn't disrupt the data between the probe/display & decided to give the a Chamberlain Stacker release a try.
So far no data disruption & the release works as advertised. (Please note that I'm using this as a fixed/primary release on manual downriggers with no expectation of moving the release once it is set).
I'm still fine tuning the horizontal trigger tension so I'm still a rookie there, but the vertical adjustment really allows me to load my rigger rods.
I did make my own tether line that connects the release to the rigger wire in case the release inadvertently falls off.

Pros: Super easy to install

Cons: No retaining tether feature. If the release falls off, it is permanently lost.

This is seriously the answer to any downrigger release issues. I can set my rod tension very high and still have a small lake trout trip the release. I had always used Cannon pinch style releases before but it was hard to get enough tension to hold the rod and still have a small fish trip the release.
BUT.... I give this a 1 star review for a glaring flaw in the design. If you lean out and aren't careful when arming the release, it can pop off and if you're not fast it will sink to the bottom of the lake. Imagine watching a $19.00 piece of gear fluttering down into 150' of water.
The answer that I came up with was to drill a small hole near the bottom of the release. I used some heavy pound test braided line to add a clip to the release. The first thing that I do before attaching the release is clip it to the downrigger cable. It can now pop off and will not be lost. I have replaced the one that fluttered to the bottom of the lake but I give 1 star as I am still peeved that a retaining clip was not part of the design.

The stacker release works just as great as the regular Chamberlain release, it just has one design flaw. There is no clip or mechanism to keep it attached to your cable should it get knocked loose. As anyone who runs downriggers knows, downrigger cables aren't inside of the boat. To attach any brand of stacker, you need to pull the cable closer to the boat or lean out to attach it to the cable or to clip your line into it. When you pull on the cable with this design, you run the risk of popping it loose from the cable. When that happens, as it did to me this last weekend, you can only sit back and watch a $19.00 piece of gear flutter to the depths of the lake. I knew that it would happen, I just didn;t think that it would happen so quickly.
I do plan on replacing the stacker release that I just lost, but it will be modified with a stainless wire and clip to hold it to the downrigger cable. Or I'll use the metal ring portion off of a Scotty release clip and attach it to the release.
This would be a 5 star review if it had a keeper clip on it.

Realy liked this release. After struggling with a release that either was hard to get released or released while the down rigger was on the way down, I decided to spend a few $ and try a purported "good release". It worked like a charm, never released early, and once adjusted always released on a lite kokanee hit. The money spent was worth the no frustration.

Have a problem keeping the release staying tight on the Downrigger Wire. You press the white lever on the side of the release down and lift the release up at the same time. It takes me a couple of trys to get the stacker to stay tight on the wire. Broke the end of my thumb nail accomplishing this feat. Short of that problem the release works fine. I have been using Romers for a couple of years and they are difficult to adjust and have problems with them releasing when cranking the tip of the rod down. Chamberlain does not have this problem once the release is tight on the cable.

This is the greatest invention since someone made the first downrigger. The first time I used it, I fished frome 10 to 60 feet for kokanee. I didn't have to reasjust, never had a false release, and it released every time a fish struck the bait. If you use a downrigger, this product should be in your boat. I orderd it on a Sunday and received it on Tuesday. I call that excellent service.

Easily the best freshwater release available, easy to set use.
Magnetic adjustable fish release breaks clean and reliably every time and both fish rod release trip weight can be set at different weights.

Unbelievable !!! - I used an 8ft med action trolling rod on the downrigger bent double to set the hook on hybrid bass while trolling a small Repala at 20+ft. At the same time the tension on the release was set light enough and would release on the bite a crappie. There is not another release on the market that can do that. Best crappie I've ever eaten.

I wanted a release that would allow me to stack two lines on my riggers and would release when the rigger auto up brought it into the pulley. I didn,t want to have to watch out for the release, I want to be able to clear my lines and fight fish. This release really works! Even to the point where I,m buying two more to replace the other brands I use.
Fish fast and often, but remember to "Let One Go"

Used the stacker while fishing for Kokanee. Fish went deep after the morning bite. I ran two lines on one downrigger.
I was told to run a gang troll off the downrigger weight so I used the stacker release above the weight. Worked really well and we even hooked three good sized Lake Trout while fishing for Kokanee.
Things that didn't like was the same as the release. You have to reach for the cable and grab the release. Slip the line into the clip and snap it closed. Using a release on an line off the downrigger weight is easier to work with.
My Walker Downrigger has a sensor on the cable to stop the electric downrigger when the weight is retrieved. The stacker release would hang on the sensor. I had to make sure the spool would slip when it hits. I later used the release just below the sensor and that worked fine. The sensor is located so the motor stops when the weight is at the top of the water. So it is just over a foot from the weight.

Got tired of dragging 2-4 pound salmon and trout for hours before noticing, so decided to try this thing out, and it works pretty good, i havent tried it on walleye or small fish yet, but so far triggered on every fish. worth the extra $5 or so over cheaper ones

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